Sham Marriages: Vicar John Magumba Jailed Over Weddings Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Stay In UK

John Magumba

First Posted: 26/01/2012 15:03 Updated: 26/01/2012 15:03   PA

John Magumba, a Church of England vicar, was jailed for two and a half years today after carrying out dozens of sham marriages which allowed illegal immigrants to live in the UK.

Magumba was taking so many weddings involving foreign nationals his diocese put him in charge of a special working party on how to handle marriages for foreigners - and how to spot sham weddings.

In fact father-of-six Magumba, originally from Uganda, "asked no questions" when marrying a stream of Nigerian men and eastern European women who began flocking to his parish in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, from across the UK to celebrate their "happy day".

The 58-year-old even told local church-goers that African worshippers did not feel comfortable around so many white parishioners so he set up separate "African services".

Churches saw the number of weddings rocket after Magumba became the team vicar for St Mary's in Rochdale, St Peter's in Newbold and St Luke's in Deeplish.

Today Magumba showed no emotion as sentence was passed at Bolton Crown Court after he admitted carrying out 28 sham weddings.

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11:21 on 27/01/2012
Hey cburgess1, I don't see it as the media turning on immigrants at all >> It's a case of the immigrants and the vicar who created the scam to brake the law and cheat us Tax Payers out of more money > Simple as that!!! I agree with scuba14 who believes they should be deported. That way we would not be paying for their stay in prison or any future benifits. There are other countries where we would be handed the death sentence for braking their laws so they should think themselves lucky to get off with deportation.
08:37 on 27/01/2012
I suppose the state will now have to pay to look after his 6 kids and missus. The Church should have to fund them, as they must have been blind not to spot that scam.
08:21 on 27/01/2012
Is there no one in a position of trust capable of intergrity, he should be deported along with the people whose sham marriages he performed
07:41 on 27/01/2012
Well hes been arrested so why are all the crooks in parliment and the banks still walking around then? If his actions have cost this great (not) country money why do the MP's and bankers get of scott free they have cost this country far more than he ever could even if he performed 100 sham marriges a day. Again the media turning on immigrants and blaming them for the debt this country is in which is infact being drained by corrupt government and greedy bankers lay of the scap goats Immigrants,lone parents, young people, unemployed and the disabled people and look past the media
07:16 on 27/01/2012
So all these sham marrages will now be illegal, and all involved jailed or deported ?.
00:14 on 27/01/2012
Don't you just love how his "diocese put him in charge of a special working party on how to handle marriages for foreigners - and how to spot sham weddings." Lol

How trusting of them!
03:00 on 27/01/2012
It a sharlmer to a shamer . My cat looks after my gold fish.
10:05 on 27/01/2012
The clue is that he's Nigerian!
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Robert Frano
Religio_Intolerance cost 359 coworkers! (11.09.01)
00:10 on 27/01/2012
I could feel some sympathy, as a juror, if I were convinced that these sham marrieges were an attempt to, in effect, 'de-traffic' the subjects of the marrieges, etc.
This article doesn't address that issue...
08:36 on 27/01/2012
A juror isn't a job you are called on at random for a particular case. It gives you no authority and doesn't single you out to give a judgement on this. Is the people wanted to 'de-traffic' as you say they could go to thepolice not pay some corrupt vicar and middle men to arrange a weddingto somebody you have never met. It's a disgrace and once again the laws of this country and the real meaning of a marriage are being abused so people can live the life of luxury at our expense. Track them all down and send them all back to their own countries to live happily 'married' ever after until death does us part.
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Robert Frano
Religio_Intolerance cost 359 coworkers! (11.09.01)
19:36 on 27/01/2012
Re: "A juror isn't a job you are called on at random for a particular case...It gives you no authority and doesn't single you out to give a judgment on this." {The Chieftain}

I have been a juror twice...
As I understand it, the method of my selection, re this dubious 'civic honor', was to pick my name at random, from a ‘jury-pool’ composed of names/addresses obtained at random, via rotating drum, (like the ‘Mega-Millions’ jackpot), from 'DMV' & 'registered voter' records…

I consider the unwanted ‘duty’ to send/not send a person to jail, and/or impose a death penalty, (given the corrupt nature of most modern law enforcement), to be, in fact, a rather serious ‘imposed’ level of ‘authority’!
00:00 on 27/01/2012
If you're genuinely worried about what's happening to our beloved ex-Great Britain, add your names to, and tell your friends about the link below. Spread the word.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/19658
00:03 on 27/01/2012
Stevejrooney,the country has sadly gone to the dogs,and no one cares.
08:40 on 27/01/2012
And achieve what. No-body listens no-body does anything and as long as the polititions are getting the votes and a good salary it will carry on forever until we 'true british' are the minority in our own country.
23:51 on 26/01/2012
The politicians will give him a medal for boosting the numbers allowed to stay!
00:04 on 27/01/2012
They'll certainly do that alright Mickey Mouse1.
22:13 on 26/01/2012
If he had been a genuine Christian vicar he would have been raising money for the deprived and hungry of his home country.......but no......he used the cover to line he own pockets.......scorned the Christian vows of Holy Marriage and allowed illegal immigrants gain entry to the UK, the NHS and almost certainly our benefits system............This is the kind of thing that our Government needs to STOP immediately......they need to make the punishment fit the crime.....here he has received the proverbial slap on the wrist........I like millions of others are heartily sick of what is happening all around us.
21:57 on 26/01/2012
Are the people he married going to the same jail.
21:37 on 26/01/2012
He was cheating Jesus Christ? he was using the faith and trust given to him by society? This proves once more, God does not STOP anyone from committing such terrible crime because God remain nutural. It is people who have realised trust no one even person such as this?

Most serious crime are been committed in name of God and criminals uses the God and his name? If we look in third world, most poor people have nothing not even next day food, in that country, there are rich people, they have wealth so much that they could feed every single person in the country? They goes to their religious places and pray God while they see so much on the street, poor and poverty than homeless people young kids and these rich politicians and businessman walk by but do nothing yet they go and pray? I wonder what they believe in? Yes it is not there problems because they have to live too but if they make policies where people help one another by paying tax and make system works? There are problems but these problems are man made not God created?
21:11 on 26/01/2012
Jail him, fine him the marriage fees he has taken, deport him and sue his employer.
I think the term is vicarious liability?
20:42 on 26/01/2012
DONT GET DONE !!! DOM FOR PRIME MINISTER ???
21:40 on 26/01/2012
If he becomes prime minister, there would be no single man/women so there would be no problems ever.
20:27 on 26/01/2012
Huffpost is being run as Murdoch's empire was, except in the reverse, they are left wing and only print what they want to hear.
21:41 on 26/01/2012
Now i know? Dam i was thinking but could not find the right words?